UAE farms creating green oases in the desert

In the UAE, technology is bringing agriculture to new heights – literally – as rows of leafy vegetables, fruits and berries are stacked one above the other, yielding produce that help boost the country’s food self-sufficiency.

The arid climate and lack of arable land are addressed by smart systems that manage the entire farming process – from irrigation to temperature control. These climate-controlled facilities require less or no soil, but do produce more food per square metre of land than traditional farming methods.

In fact, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCE) has earlier said that hydroponics (the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil) farms can produce one kilo of lettuce using only about 20 litres of water, and water is recycled instead of being drained into the soil.

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Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

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